The 2019 BET Soul Train Awards were last night, with big winners like Lizzo, Chris Brown, and Drake taking home multiple awards. However, the evening turned out to be a bit of a let-down for one artist in particular. Though she was nominated for Best R&B/Soul Female Artist, Album/Mixtape of the Year, and Best Collaboration Performance, Ari Lennox lost to H.E.R., Lizzo, and Chris Brown featuring Drake, respectively.
In a series of tweets following the show early Monday morning, Ari said that her debut album, Shea Butter Baby, which was released this past May, "will always be special" and that she "made a soul album for black people." While it may not initially be obvious that she is referring to her bewilderment about losing all three awards in these tweets, Ari gets a little more direct, tweeting: "I just don’t understand. At all actually. But cool," followed by "I want this sh*t way more than it wants me. I’m learning I have to stop caring," and finally, "Yea I’m hurt. I’m not built for these things lmao."
Ari addressed her earlier tweets later on Monday, saying: "It’s not an ungrateful energy. It’s not ego. I’m sorry people view my tweets in that manner. I just really cared about this one. If ball players can get upset about losing so can I. This was simply something I’ve always wanted." She followed that tweet with: "My heart is just really in this sh*t and I can’t not say something. I’m grateful for all the people who f*ck with SBB. I love you guys more than you’ll ever know." While Ari is clearly devastated about her losses, she assures that she is still grateful for all the support on her album, and appears to just be disappointed that her hard work couldn't be recognized in some way. Best of luck next time, Ari!